Four Polish MPs defect to rival opposition party

Four Polish MPs from Poland's opposition Nowoczesna (Modern) have officially resigned from the party and joined the rival Civic Platform (PO) grouping, the PAP agency has reported.

Ryszard Petru. Photo: Flickr.com/Nowoczesna.

Marta Golbik confirmed on Wednesday that together with Nowoczesna MPs Joanna Augustynowska, Michał Stasiński and Grzegorz Furgo she has quit the party to become a member of the opposition Civic Platform.

On Monday, three of the four MPs were suspended by Nowoczesna, following media reports that they were planning to defect to the PO.

The decision was made by Ryszard Petru, the leader of Nowoczesna, in consultation with its board, a party spokeswoman said.

Asked whether more Nowoczesna MPs would join the three, the spokeswoman said: "If some leave, those will be individual cases.”

The Civic Platform is Poland’s biggest opposition grouping and an arch-rival to the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Nowoczesna was founded in late May 2015 by economist Ryszard Petru, just a few months before Poland’s parliamentary elections that year.

The party won 7.6% of the vote, which resulted in Nowoczesna taking 28 seats in the lower house of parliament, a major success for a new grouping.

Nowoczesna, one of the most vocal parties in opposition, has recently seen a drop in approval ratings.

Media have reported that Petru is vying with PO leader Grzegorz Schetyna for the role of the informal leader of Poland’s opposition. (ał/vb/pk)